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Only days earlier, Vito’s relationship with his father had sunk to an all-time lohen Ciccio had questioned his son’s visit to the hospital where he was recovering from his heart attack ‘Are you here to crow over my downfall?’ his father had asked nastily while his ht up with me? Is that what you think?’

And Vito had finally recognised that there was no relationship left to rescue with his father Ciccio bitterly resented his son’s freedom froance and greed had forced Vito’s grandfather to keep his son-in-law on a tight leash There was nothing Vito could do to change those hard facts Even worse, after his grandfather had died it had become Vito’s duty to protect his mother’s fortune from Ciccio’s demands, scarcely a reality likely to improve a father and son relationship

For the first time Vito wondered what sort of relationship he would have with his son if he ever had one Momentarily he was chilled by the prospect because his faement

Holly had just finished clearing up the dishes when the knocker on the front door sounded loudly She was stunned when she opened the door and found Bill, who ran the breakdown service, standing s on the doorstep

‘I need the keys for Cleet her loaded up’

‘But it’s Christ—’

‘I didn’t want to raise your hopes last night but I knew I’d be co up this way some time this afternoon My uncle joins us for lunch and he owns a set back to feed his stock, so I brought the truck when I left him at home’

‘Thank you soher consternation with all heraway to reach into the pocket of her coat where she had left the car keys She passed the older man the keys ‘Do you need any help?’

He shook his head ‘I’ll come back up for you when I’m done’

‘I’ll get ether’ With a weak s, Holly shut the door again and sped straight upstairs to gather her belongings She dug her feet into her cowboy boots and thrust her toiletries andback into her rucksack

And throughout that exercise she wouldn’t let herself even think that she could be foolish enough to be disappointed at being picked up and taken home Clearly, it was tiht with Vito but fate had decreed otherwise Possibly a quick, unexpected exit was the best way to part after such a night, she thought unhappily There would be neither the ties She closed her rucksack and checked the roo herself that she still had to pack the Christ anxiously if Vito would make it back before she had to leave

She flipped open her cardboard box and stripped the tree of orna to think beyond the practical She raced into the kitchen to dump the foil containers she had used to tr

ansport theand quickly wash it before placing it in the box That was that then, all the evidence of her brief stopover removed, she conceded numbly

She didn’t want to go home, she didn’t want to leave Vito, and the awareness of that stupid, hopeless sense of attachment to him crushed and panicked her He would probably be relieved to find her gone and he would have cringed if he saw tears in her eyes Men didn’t likethan a woht This one-night-and-walk-away stuff is what you signed up for, Holly scolded herself angrily There had been no promises and no mention of a future of any kind She would leave with her head held high and no backward glances